Judgement on das Nichtige through das Nichtige: Karl Barth’s doctrine of atonement re-examined

In recent years, there has been ongoing debate about the characteristics of Barth’s doctrine of atonement. Some scholars argue that his understanding of atonement is fundamentally forensic, in which Christ bore judgment on sinners for their justification. Others contend that Barth’s atonement is a cosmic battle, centering on the defeat of das Nichtige and the deliverance of enslaved humanity. Despite the excellent work exploring different dimensions of Barth’s soteriology, the relationship between these two dimensions is rarely addressed. In other words, how do justification and deliverance relate to one another? This paper seeks to demonstrate the compatibility of these two interpretations, as shown in Church Dogmatics §§50 and 59, arguing that atonement, for Barth, is a judgment on das Nichtige through das Nichtige, thereby defeating it and bringing both justification and deliverance to humanity. Ultimately, the forensic and cosmological interpretations represent two dimensions of the same atoning event in Christ.